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Algal blooms grow with global warming

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Sunday February 9, 2014 12:01 PM

The Monday
Dispatch article “Toxic algae in Hoover cost city $723,000” revealed the harrowing cost of
combating the effects of harmful algal blooms in Columbus.

Blue-green algae are toxic and have appeared for the first time in our city, negatively
affecting the taste and smell of residents’ water.

I recently moved into a new apartment near the Ohio State campus, and the first time I tried my
tap water, I was shocked by the unpleasant plantlike taste. My household was one of 1,700 to
contact the city about the standard and quality of water.

While I am pleased that
The Dispatch is giving algal blooms much-needed attention, the article missed the role
that global warming plays in driving algae growth. According to the Center for Sponsored Coastal
Ocean Research, increasing carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere cause increasing temperatures,
which can foster algae growth. Lake Erie already is suffering the consequences; toxin levels in the
lake are greater than 50 parts per billion.

If consumed, this water can cause illness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, rashes and even
respiratory problems. Increased risk to Ohio’s lakes and drinking water only further demonstrates
the need for change, and hopefully Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, will be a key player in the
movement, showing his support for President Barack Obama’s Climate Action Plan and taking necessary
steps in Ohio as needed.